Five suspects in Univerzal banka case detained

BELGRADE - The Belgrade police, the Criminal Police Administration and the Department for combating corporate crime have placed five persons in detention up to 48 hours on suspicion of abuse of office at Univerzal banka.

They are suspected of having acquired illicit gains totalling around EUR 1.35 million and RSD 402 million, a statement from the Interior Ministry said.

A former chairman of the Univerzal Banka AD Beograd executive board and a former board member, both of whom were in the posts until February 4 last year, have been arrested and placed in detention up to 48 hours.

The two have been detained on suspicion of having committed abuse of office of responsible person between 2011 and February 4, 2013.

They are suspected of having approved loans to clients despite their lack of creditworthiness and collaterals securing repayment, as well as of having disregarded the procedure and negative assessments of the credit bureau, in order to procure illicit gains to associated legal persons amounting to around EUR 1.35 million and around RSD 125 million.

The chairman of the Univerzal Banka executive board and two board members, who were in the posts in the period between February 4 last year and the launch of the bankruptcy procedure two weeks ago, have also been placed in detention up to 48 hours.

The three have been detained on suspicion of having committed the same crime in the same manner, acquiring illicit gains of around RSD 277 million in the period between February 4 and the launch of the bankruptcy procedure.